Whitney Pailman is currently a PhD Candidate in Energy and Development at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She holds a Masters in Energy and Development from UCT and a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Johannesburg. She combines research and project experience in off-grid energy access business models, social enterprises and the gender-energy nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa. She has previously worked as a Research Fellow for the Umbane project and Transforming Energy Access Learning Partnership at the ACDI.